LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Water coming down the Colorado River is expected to be far below normal for a second consecutive year, and that will have a big impact on Lake Mead, according to a new report from the federal government.
With Lake Mead just a third full and Lake Powell even lower — 27% full — streamflow forecasts show that officials are expecting the river to deliver 57% of normal flow into Lake Powell.
Unless snowpack levels improve greatly in the next 11-12 weeks, Lake Powell will get to June with only a foot more water than it’s expected to have at the end of this month. Water users in Nevada, Arizona and California need Lake Powell to stock up in spring so it can send plenty downstream in summer when it’s needed during hot summer months.
Snowpack is currently at 72% of normal for the Upper Colorado River Basin. Compared to previous years, it’s near the bottom of the range, currently in the 10th percentile.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which releases updated two-year projections every month, Lake Mead will be 3-5 feet lower this summer compared to last year’s levels, and then drop to new lows as summer ends in 2027…